all points to meet the enemy with a force equal to his own, and must find our security in the contrentration and rapid movement of troops. Nothing will so certainly conduce to peace as the conclusive exhibition of our power to hold the Mississippi River, and nothing so diminish our capacity to defend the Trans-Mississippi States as the loss of communication between the States on the eastern sides of the river. I have thus presented to you my views, and trusitng alike in your patriotism and discretion, leave you to make the application of them which circumstances will permit. Whatever may be done should be done with all possible dispatch.

Very respectfully and truly, your friend,

JEFFERSON DAVIS.

[17 and 22.]

MUEFREEESBOROUGH, December 22, 1862.

(Received 23d.)

President DAVIS:

Nashville papers of yesterday report our forces in superior numbers as attacking their lines between Corinth and Columbus, and that General Sharman's colum had fallen back to Memphis and Hovey's to Helena, leaving Grant in position, unable to advance, but the expedition is to be renewed. The attack on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad was by a small cavalry force from Grant's army. No advance is being made down the road from Corinth. Roddey is in motion. He whipped them back handsomely from Tuscumbia. All is well with us. Morgan in motion. Stevenson's troops will all be off to-morrow.

B. BRAGG,

[20.]

VICKSBURG, December 22, 1862.

General BRAGG,

Murfreesborough, Tenn:

Inform me of any movement of Federals from Nashville or down the Ohio.

[20.] J. E. JOHNSTON.

ADJUTANT AND INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, Montgomery, Ala., December 23, 1862.

M. C. TOWLES,

Lafayette:

SIR: The Governor is in receipt of yours of the 20th, and desires me to express, on the part of the State, his thanks for the promptitude with which you have executed a most troublesmoe but important duty. He is gratifief to say his advices from Mobile are in a tone of increasing confidence, and he has no dout that in a very few weeks, through the slave labor which has been furnsihed by the State, Mobile will be able successfully to resist any naval force the enemy can bring against it. If every man will for the next six months do his whole duty, the war will be over and our independence achieved. If we fail, everything is lost, and the labor of the past thrown away-the blood which has been spilled shed in vain.

Very respectfully, &c.,

GEO. GOLDTHWAITE,

[15.]